Retort for the carbonization of solid fuels



A. L. J. QUENEAU RETORT FOR THE CARBONIZATIO N OF SOLID FUELS Filed Nov 27, 1925 5 Sheets Shet l A. L. J. QUENEAU RETOR'I' FOR THE GARBONZZATIOW OF SOLID FUELS 5 Sheets-5hm Filsd Nov. 27, 1923 RETOZRT FOE THE Patented, Now. l0, 1925.

UNITED STATES v ,1,s 6o,sss PATENT- ourns.

AUGUSTIN IIEON JEAN QUENE AU, OF FR EJUS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOB. TO EDMUND HEISCE OI'JPABIS, FRANCE. v

RETORT'FORTHE CARBONIZATION OF SOL'ID FUELS.

' Application filed November 27, 1923. Serial No. 677,248

France, have invented certai'n new and use-- ful Improvements in Retorts for" the Carbonization of Solid Fuels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to horizontal or practically horizontal retorts employed'inthe carbonization of-solid fuels such as for instance wood, coal, shales, lignite,g etc. These-retorts are usually cylindr ettl and contain a conveyor device for traiisporting the material, constituted by a simple. or multiple Archinjiedeanscrew. This screw or worm is-so arranged that at the top-of the retort is left, betweenthe worm itself-and thewall of "the retort, a space affording free 1 passage to the gases which are generated uring the treatment of the fuel. Some of the said gases, becoming dissociated on conis eliminated, such retorts comprisin tact with the hot wall of the retort, give carbon or, retort-coal Which-settles on the wall and thus reduces the above mentioned space which is very quickly completely choked up. The gases can then onlyjfescapcby following the path of the solid material,

that is to say, the spires of the worm." It is.

necessary to scrape the deposit very frequently in order to remedy the defect in question, and this fact is a seriousdrawback. According to the present invention, a retort is providedin which this disadvantage orthe purpose two cylinders with-parallelorizontal axes secant alon two generatrioes and communicating by a the zone common to each of them. The conveyor device is constituted by a combination of two shafts,the axes of which are situated respectively a little below the axes of the above mentioned two cylinders; the said shafts carry blades which pass between each othercfrom one shaft to.the other, and leave between them free spaces through. which pas's'the gases generated, on their wayto the outlet.

These retorts comprise moreover 'a .de-- vice-for introducing the fuel, and a device of the retort according to the invention on Figure 4 shows in perspectivetheretort on a smaller scale.

Figures 5 and 5 show, after joining at the lines X-X, a horizontal section of a retort in which the two arallel shafts which formable.

Figure 6 is a cross-section of the said retort on the line X+X of the Figure 5.

' 1 is the body of the retort havin incross section the shape of an eight igure 1). In the interior of each of the two cylinders which constitute the said retort, is arranged a-shaft 2, 2,, the axis 3, 3 of. which is a little below'thc axis 4, 4 of each cylinder. Each shaft 2, 2 ismade in .one piece and constituted for instance by a steel tube, into the ends of which are screwed, with screw threads of a direction opposite to that of the movement of rotation of the shafts, shortpieces of: shafting of a smaller diameter intended to form journals. These tubes are made in one piece, and no pin or rivet passes through them, that would be 'liable to produce the formation of cracks through which the outside air could pass into the retort. The fixing of the above mentioned pieces of shafting on each steel tube isv effected along conical bearing surfaces, which ensures air-tight joints between these parts Suitable packing is provided at the ends ofthe cylinders forming supports for the shafts 2, 2,,so as to prci ent any outside air from passing in along the said'shafts.

The tubular-shafts 2 and 2,, having thus been mounted so as to avoid any introduction of the outer air into the retort, a coot ing current of air ma be, circulated in the interior of the said to es.

polygonal cross section (Figure 1) so as to secured, the said blades being integral with polygonal elements 6 which fit'exactly on the shafts 2 and 2,. These blades are put I in place on each shaft in such a manner that produce the driving of t e-materi'als, are de- The sha'fts 2, 2 have inside the retort a v enable the blades 5 to be put. in place and* for instance by set screws 7, 7

bearings taking up their a'xes should be,-tro'm one blade to the next one, at a certain uniform angle, for

, instance 9 0 (Figures 1 and 2) and so that, from one shaft to the other,

a shaft comebetween the blades of the blades ofthe other shaft having thesame direction, in the zone common to the two cylinders. If the four succesive blades of the shaft 2 are called .5 5 ,5 5

the shaft, whilst the end blade at'the 'dis-' charge side is-locked in any suitable manner,

The shafts 2, 2,, are rotated in the opposite direction :(see the arrows 111 Figure l) at the same speed, by means of; any desired suitable"mechansm comprising for'instance' a pinion 8 connected to a notcr, a piniont) eugaging with'the latter and keyedto the shaft 2, and two helical pinions '10, 10, of the same diameter ensuring the driving of the shaft 2,. 11 is a supporting frame and 12 thrust the thrust reaction exercised on the blades,

the retort.

The introduction of the solid fuels takes place at one of the ends of the retort, the

- right hand onein the drawing. A conduit 18 opens into the zone common to the two cylinders, the said conduit'containing a m .tating. part 14: or a'plug provided with a recess 15. When'thmplug 14 is in the posi- 'tion shown in Figure 1', the materials which above the said plug ass into the '1 he plug, in continuing to rotate, quantity of fuel, without are placed recess 15. drives a given however introducing any material quantity of the outside air, and when it is in the position diametrically opposite that illustrated, it. discharges its load into the conduit 13.

At the opposite end of the retort is a dis"- chargeconduit 16 which contains unidentical device, so'that a iegular discharge of the solid residues may be made without. introduction of the outer air through the out- Figure 2"shows 14: of the above mentioned discharge or evacuation device. j 'pes 17 for the esca the by the carbonizatiigloi the materials, are arranged at suitable pointsofthe retort (Figures 2 and 4).. 'These various pipes open into a general collector or manifold 17 twhicliguides the gases towards'the points where they are utilized. 7 ,1 The Jworking of th wpamt is, 6 follows I I The materialsintroduced tin-o gh at regular intervals and in constant uantities,

drop to the of the retortv nd have 5 by the fuel moving in p the recess 15, of the plug V used in rolling mills for driving the" top all'rifngs onone and the tendency to quickly fill the retort up to a certain level, a regulation of the speed of the mova le elements of'the ap ara'tus avoiding the said level being exceeded. The blades 5 carried by the shafts 2 and 2. which, owing to their oblique position, act asfau Archimedean screw ensure regular transport-of the material along the axis'of the retort, and moreover tend the, said material awa men to the two c ers in crder'to bring it in contact. wit 'the outer walls-of the constantly to-m'ove I 1 from the zone'co'mj'l5 retorts, which are the nearest to the furi inace. .The arrangement .of the blades, .as I shown in Figures 1 and. 2, ensures .-their mutual clean ng, and at [the same time provides, above thedevel of the material being treated in the retort, wide empty spaces where the gases. freely circulate in; their passage-towards the outlet orifice or-orifices 35 17. The carbonized materials drop finally by gravity into the discharge conduit 16.

In the construction shown in Figures 5 and G, the-two parallel shafts are deformable. To'that end, each of them comprises a cylindricalportion 18 passing through the cover 19 of the retort which thus forms a sup-.

- art and a bearingior it. In the interior of the retort, each-shaft has a circular por- Mon 20 ofa large diameter and finally a -cross shaped portion 21. I

'Two or more shaft'portions 22, 23 are arranged inthe extension of the-portionfll, and 'finally'an end piece'24 comprisingza cross-shaped portion 25 a collar'26 e cover28- of.-

tion 27 with a-rec'ess'in t psies:

retort,with the interposition or A tight joint is thus secured.

The various portions 21, 22, 23 an 25 6} 1105 each shaft are 'ofsu'ch alengt relativelyto the" length of the retort; that a, clearance is left between them as shown at 3'0.'

The coupling of the s'haft pieces 21, 22, 23 and 25 is ensured by means of rings 31, 32- and 33 of suitable length,-in the interior 01E which are provided grooves 34 owing to" be fitted with a certain play which they may on the ribs35'0f the cross-shaped parts 21, 22, 23 and 25.

This method of coupling is of the kind 4 cylinder by means" of wobble'rs. 7 Other rings {the rings 31, 32 and 33, are also arranged on.

:32and '36 comprise. a blade 37 aud'the keying of r I {the same shaft relativol'y ito each other,is.such that the "blade 37 of a. ring is at 90 'relativelylto'- the 'pre-' cedmg one and to the 'followm one, the 4 whole of the blades'37 of one'an the same Each ofv the rings-31,32 and all thef i f v" and a; mo cylindrical portion 27; engages with its pen 36 having the sameshap I the parts 22 n g bepweenjthe rings shaft having diagrammatically the shape of a screw. Finally, the blades of. one of the said shafts intersect, during the rotation of the shafts, the path described by. the corresponding blade of the opposite shaft, but without ever meetingi j Owing to the construction and to the "method of erection described, the shaftsin rotating may become deformed in the interror of the retort, without breaking, so as to fit the shape of thelower bottom of the retort, the weight of the said shafts always tending to keep the blades in contact with v the lower wall ofthe retort and thus preveting the retort carbon from accumulating.

What I claim is:

- 1. Aretort comprising a casing, a rotary conveyor mounted therein, said conveyor constituted bya. .number of aligned noncircular shaft sections and rings encircling the shaft sections, and having non-circular openings loosely receivingth non-circular sections, some at least of saidrings being ,provided with conveyor blades and at least tions, selected portions of said shaft sections bein of non-circular formfand rings encircling said shaft sections and having noncircular openings .loosely receivingthe'noncireularportions, said rings provided with conveyor blades, at*least some of said r ngs serving to couple the shaft sections together,

whereby to insure movement togetherof the rings and shaft sections yet permit moveinent due to expansion.

3. A retort comprising a casing, a rotary; conveyor shaft mounted therem with rts'ax1s'- below the axis of the casing, said shaft being formed by a number of aligned cross;

shaped sections and rings encircling the shaft and having eross-shaped;openings loosely receiving the cross-shaped sections conveyor blades and at least some of said of the shaft, said rings being provided with rings'serving to couple said shaft sections I whereby the shaft may be deformed and accommodate itself to the Shape of the lower portion of the retort casing to prevent the. retort carbon from accumulating onvthe same.

signature.

AUGUSTIN LEON JEAN onnunitn In testimony whereof I h ereunto aflix my 

